Some Roald Dahl protagonists are grotesque – think The Twits – and so a sure-fire winner with kids. Matilda is a swot, something which could have the opposite effect. There's no shortage of frolicks and gore on the way of this bibliophile prodigy's quest for justice through Crunchem Hall school, where the motto is "children are maggots". Yet this rare leading female in the Dahl cannon once seemed destined to remain in the shadow of bigger creations – like Harry Potter's Hermione, being demoted to the second fictional league, despite (or maybe even because of) her superlative competence. But Matilda's hour has arrived. The RSC's musical rendering of the 1988 novel won rave reviews in 2010, and now her big show has transferred to the West End, where she is the toast of the town. To crown it all, she popped up alongside the Queen this week on a postage stamp. We salute her for proving how big brains and a good heart can win out in the end.